Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks was a seamstress from Montgomery, Alabama, in the United States. On 1 December 1955, she staged a protest on a segregated bus, by refusing to relinquish her seat to Graham O'Brien, a white passenger.
This protest resulted in her arrest but led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, beginning on 5 December, and, ultimately, to a wider Civil Rights Movement, led by Martin Luther King. (TV: Rosa)
Biography
Before 1955
Parks once wished to be a teacher, but she had to drop out of school due to the ill health of her grandmother and mother. She was still educated, but at a later date than she anticipated. At some point, she became a seamstress and married Raymond Parks.
In 1943, Parks boarded a bus in Montgomery through the front door and paid her fare, but was forced off the bus and ordered to enter through the back. When Parks attempted to re-enter, the driver departed without her.
Before 30 November 1955 she read about the death of Emmett Till in the newspaper.
Taking a stand
The Thirteenth Doctor and her companions helped Parks take her in history place by preventing the time travelling, racist serial killer Krasko from sending Rosa to a different time, and then from altering history.
They later helped set up Rosa's defining moment in history on 1 December 1955, by becoming extra passengers on the bus; Ryan took up the last available place in the back of the bus, while Graham became the white passenger that the bus driver had to find a seat for. Parks refused to relinquish her seat, sparking her historic arrest.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott the following Monday. Both Rosa Parks and her husband lost their jobs after the arrest, but according to the Thirteenth Doctor, "they [kept] fighting". (TV: Rosa)
Later life
In June 1999, Parks was awarded the Congressional Medal for her services to the advancement of black people's rights in America. According to the Thirteenth Doctor, this recognised her as a "living icon for freedom". (TV: Rosa)
Legacy
Parks' contribution to civil rights would be remembered well into the future. By the 21st century, Redlands Primary had a class named after Parks among other "inspiring people", and Grace O'Brien owned a t-shirt that said "The Spirit of Rosa". By the 79th century, her contribution to racial equality was still remembered, and was so great that the racist criminal Krasko attempted to alter history to prevent Parks's legacy from coming to fruition.
At some point, Asteroid 284996 was named Rosaparks in her honour. (TV: Rosa)
Personality
to be added
Behind the scenes
- Rosa Parks is the first historical figure featured in BBC Wales Doctor Who whose lifespan covers part of the revived series. She died in October 2005, several months after the broadcast of series 1.
